Following the disaster declaration by President Joe Biden, homeowners and renters in Henry County may apply for disaster assistance from FEMA. Henry County was one of seven counties declared disaster areas from the severe storms and tornadoes on July 14th and 15th. Homeowners and renters may call or apply online for disaster assistance.
The Henry County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) said in a Facebook post, “The OEM is very grateful that the President has signed the Governor’s Disaster Declaration for Henry County.”
Henry County OEM said field staff from FEMA will arrive in the near future to a Disaster Recovery Center to provide education in determining who may qualify for grants and /or reimbursements. The Henry County OEM will then share that information with residents of Henry County.
“While we await the arrival of FEMA to the OEM, please be patient. Additional Information will be provided by the OEM in the very new future.”
If you have insurance coverage for the damage to your property, file a claim first. If you are uninsured or have underinsured losses, apply for FEMA assistance by going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, downloading the FEMA app, or calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use video relay service, captioned telephone service, or others, give FEMA your number for that service. When calling the FEMA Helpline, multilingual operators are available (press 2 for Spanish and 3 for other languages).
FEMA can provide money to eligible applicants for help with serious needs, such as paying for a temporary place to live, home repairs, and other needs not covered by insurance.
Have the following information ready when you apply with FEMA:
- A current phone number where you can be contacted,
- Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying,
- Your social security number (or the social security number of a minor child in your household, if you’re applying on their behalf),
- A general list of damage and losses,
- Banking information if you choose direct deposit, and
- If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name.
For even more information about the disaster recovery operation in Illinois, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4819. Learn more about citizenship and immigration status requirements to qualify for disaster assistance by visiting www.fema.gov/assistance/